Stomach Bug
by musicgirl1120
Summary: When their friends are supposed to be visiting, Rachel come down with a nasty stomach bug. Will she spread it around? Will Rachel be alright? Who will come take care of her when she's sick?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys. SO over Christmas break I got a kindle and proceeded to watch every episode of Glee in about a week. It was fantastic and this little story popped into my head so I started writing it and I think I finally have enough to keep it going. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. **

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As the curtain closed, she let out a huge sigh. Funny girl was on a two week break and, finally, Rachel was going to get a chance to rest and just enjoy New York. As she made her way to her dressing room, she heard the sounds of vomiting coming from the bathroom. _Another one bites the dust_ she thought as she walked into her private dressing room and shut the door. The stomach flu was going around and most of the cast had either had it or was coming down with it. Rachel thankfully had been spared and was hoping not to get it now that they were on break.

As she slipped out of her costume, she couldn't help but think how ready she was to get back to the loft, not only to get out of the germ filled theater, but also because her friends were coming to New York over the next few days and she was excited. Brittney, Mercedes, Quinn, Tina, Artie, and Mike were all coming and spending the week with them. Quinn and Brittany were all coming the next day and everyone else was coming in the following two days.

As Rachel walked out the back entrance to the theater, she felt a slight cramping in her stomach. Pulling out her phone she realized that Mother Nature must have decided to spite her a few days early. She groaned as she made her way to the cab that waited for her every day. On her way to the cab, cameras flashed, trying to get a picture of the starlet. That was the one downfall to this career; she never had any privacy.

As she got in the cab, she sighed, feeling tiredness settling into her body. The car trip to the loft made her stomach feel unsettled which was odd, but she brushed it off. As she paid the cabbie and got out, she trudged to the stairs.

As she reached the loft, she knew Santana, Kurt, and Blaine, who had moved in about a month before, would still be out until after midnight at work. It was eleven thirty and she had plans to make dinner for all of them. It was an unspoken rule in their house that whoever got home first had to have some food on the table for the others when they got back. However, Rachel knew she could whip something together quickly and she was really tired so she sat down on the couch, pulling a blanket over herself, a sudden chill taking over her petite body. She flicked on the TV, looking for something to get her mind off the headache that was gathering in temples. She closed her eyes just for a moment, or so she thought.

Forty-five minutes later when Santana, Blaine, and Kurt walked in, chatting excitedly about their friends coming to visit. It was the middle of the summer and they had all picked up a ton of extra shifts in order to help pay the rent. However, the three of them had managed to score the next week off. Granted they had to work for the next month without any time off, but they had a whole week with their friends. As they walked in, both of them were really hungry and looking forward to whatever Rachel had found for them to eat.

"Rach," Kurt called, shutting the door behind them.

"Yo Berry," Santana called, looking in the bedroom, "If she ditched us for some stupid Broadway party, I'm gonna…"

"Santana, Kurt," Blaine called, "Shh."

"What?" Santana said, going to the couch where Blaine was standing with his mouth open.

"Is she…" Santana asked, staring at the rare site.

"Without anyone being here?," Kurt asked, looking at the sleeping form of Rachel Berry.

"Yeah," Blaine said, eyes wide.

Rachel never fell asleep before someone was in the apartment and there was no way she would have fallen asleep on this night. Rachel had not stopped talking about their friends coming, and truthfully, they were all thrilled about that. It had been a miserable year in the loft since losing Fin and finally having Rachel focusing something other than that and Funny Girl was nice.

However, now she was sound asleep on the couch. Kurt reached out to wake her and his hand brushed her forehead, causing him to turn to Santana and Blaine with big eyes.

"She's burning up," Kurt said as Rachel opened her eyes.

"Kurt," she said, rubbing her eyes, "Santana, Blaine. What time is it?"

"It's after midnight," Kurt said.

"Ugg," Rachel said, "Sorry. I forgot to get something to eat. I got home and the subway gave me a headache and made me feel sick and I was just so tired and my period is a week early and I'm getting major cramps and…"

"Breathe Berry," Santana said, cutting her off, "First off you don't get cramps, ever. That has always made me very jealous. Second, we are perfectly in sync and there is no flippin' way you got out of that pattern so something else must be causing you to feel crappy. Third, Lady Hummel here thinks you have a fever and you look almost as green as that guy that stayed with Brittney from across the pond."

"Shoot," Rachel said, sitting up, "Shoot shoot shoot."

"What?" Santana said, "Did you get knocked up or something cause if you did..."

"No," Kurt said, immediately remembering the conversation he and Rachel had had that morning about the flu epidemic at Funny Girl.

Rachel nodded, grabbing her stomach as she felt it turn.

"What?" Blaine asked, watching Rachel's face turn a sickly shade of palish green before the brunette ran for the bathroom.

"Stomach flu," Kurt said, cringing as the sound of Rachel being sick filled the apartment.

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**So there it is. My first Glee story ever. Hope you all liked it. More to come and the more reviews, the faster I update. Thanks. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story! I am so grateful. I was really worried, but you guys made me believe this was worth keeping up. Hope you like this chapter.**

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_What?" Blaine asked, watching Rachel's face turn a sickly shade of palish green before the brunette ran for the bathroom._

_"Stomach flu," Kurt said, cringing as the sound of Rachel being sick filled the apartment._

Santana groaned, but went into the bathroom, grabbing the brunette's hair and rubbing her back gently.

"It's okay," Santana said, rubbing her back gently, "Just let it out."

Kurt came in a few seconds later with a cool wash cloth and Santana placed it on the back of Rachel's neck. Blaine kept his safe distance, knowing just how weak his stomach was when it came to sickness.

After another minute, Rachel pulled her head out of the toilet, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Kurt," Santana said, "Go grab me another wash cloth. Make it warm."

Kurt nodded, moving from his place by the counter. Rachel leaned against the wall as Santana got up and got her a cup of water.

"Just a sip," Santana said, holding it to her friend's lips.

Rachel carefully sipped the water, grimacing as she felt it hit her stomach and she threw herself back at the toilet.

Once she was done, Santana helped her back to her position on the wall just as Kurt walked in with a warm wash cloth.

"Rachel," Santana said, wiping down her friend's hands and face, "Just sit tight for a minute. We'll be right back."

Rachel nodded slightly, putting her head to her knees. Santana stood up and followed Kurt out of the bathroom.

"What are we going to do?" Kurt asked, pacing the floor, "We have a bunch of people coming out and Rachel is going to get everyone sick."

"I'm not sure what we're going to do about that," Blaine said, "But I know that Rachel gets super needy and clingy when she's sick and we can't just leave her."

Kurt nodded, grabbing his phone. "I think we need to call everyone and tell them not to come," Kurt said, "We can't have them all getting sick and if we spend all night taking care of Rachel, we are probably going to get it too and we just can't…"

"I'll take care of her," Santana said, cutting him off, "Yeah. Then you can hang out two can hang out with everyone and Berry and I can spend some time together. I'll just call Dani and tell her not to come over like she planned."

"Really?" Kurt said, knowing that Santana wasn't always the nicest person.

"Yeah," Santana said, "And maybe in a few days, Berry will be better and we can join you."

"Thank you so much Santana," Blaine said, giving her a huge grin as Kurt hugged her tightly.

"Now," she said, "Go get to bed. It's already 1 AM and, Quinn and Britt will be here at 9 so go catch a few."

"Thank you so much Santana," Kurt said, as he and Blaine headed for their room they had actually put wall on in the past few months.

_Now_ Santana thought _let's get ready for one hell of a night_. She grabbed a couple of blanket and pillows and made her way into the bathroom. Rachel was still slumped against the wall, looking really pale and miserable.

"What are you doing Santana?" she asked as the Latina spread a couple of blankets over the floor and put a pillow down.

"When I was little and sick," Santana said, helping Rachel to the make-shift bed, "I would usually end up at my abuela's house and she would spread blankets out on the floor in the bathroom because I was terrible at making it if she let me stay on the couch and she would braid my hair and stay with me the whole time I was sick. I thought it would be nice for you and I don't think Kurt and Blaine want you spreading your germs all over the loft."

"What are we doing about our company?" Rachel asked, trying to sit up but feeling a head rush and easing herself back down.

"Kurt and Blaine are going to entertain and we are going to hang out here," Santana said, sliding down the wall near Rachel, "I know you don't like being alone when you're sick and I figured they would be better tour guides anyways. Besides, I have a much better immune system than Lady Hummel or soon to be Mr. Lady Hummel."

Rachel smiled weakly. "Thank you Santana," she said, "That was really nice of you."

Suddenly, Rachel's face dropped and she scrambled toward the toilet. Santana grabbed her long brown hair and pulled it out of her face. When she finished, Santana gave her a cup of water.

"No way," Rachel said, not wanting a repeat of last time.

"Just swish and spit," Santana said. Rachel took a small sip and spit it into the toilet.

"Ugg," she said as Santana helped her back to her makeshift bed, "This is awful."

"Yeah," Santana said, "Here. Let me braid your hair because if I have to grab it one more time, I might just chop it off."

"Thanks," Rachel said, offering a weak smile, "You know. Last time I got this sick was the summer Finn and I first started dating and he took me to this restaurant that could not prepare vegan food to save their lives. I got so sick and he just held me in his big arms. I felt like utter crap and couldn't hold anything down for days, but when he held me, I felt a little better and I felt so safe…I really miss him."

Tears were welling up in her eyes as she spoke.

"Come 'ere," Santana said, tying of the braid she had put in Rachel's hair and hugging Rachel gently. "Now dry your tears and focus on you getting better."

Rachel nodded curling up in her pile of blankets and pillows.

"Why don't you go lay down in our room," Rachel said, "I'm probably going to just sleep and throw up and you should get some rest."

"Alright," Santana said, getting up, "But your phone is here and if you need anything just call and maybe I'll wake up."

"Thanks Santana," Rachel said as her friend left. Rachel was exhausted but her stomach was cramping so much she couldn't sleep.

She almost never got sick and had only had the stomach flu once in her life. She had been eight and she had woken up feeling sick but she knew she needed to go to school and so she managed to dodge all her dads questions and made it to school. She had continued feeling super sick and finally in the middle of a spelling test, the unthinkable had happened. She had thought she was going to sneeze and so like any conscientious student she had pulled her shirt collar and had tried to sneeze down her shirt but instead, she had thrown up down her shirt.

She had been mortified and extremely grateful the nurse had let her use the shower. Her dad had picked her up and spent the whole day coddling her as she threw up every fifteen minutes. She hated how sick she was but her dad had sung to her and made her feel a little better.

Now she just wanted one or both of her dads there to hold her but this, she decided was what it meant to be grown up. It meant spending time by yourself on the bathroom floor while in a fevered haze throwing up everything you've eaten for what seemed like the past month. It meant dealing with being sick alone and not crying because crying only made it worse. It meant hugging your pillow instead of your dad when you felt like complete crap. Rachel spent the night getting very well aquatinted with the toilet in the bathroom, learning this lesson very quickly.

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**Well there it is. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you like it and let me know if there is something more you want to read. Thanks so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Radical Readers. We had a few days off between semesters and I decided I would give you guys a little more of this story. Hope you enjoy.**

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Santana came in at around 7:30 with a cup of ginger ale. She helped Rachel sit up and drink a few small sips of it, only to have to move out of her way as the Broadway star's stomach rejected the fizzy drink.

Kurt came to check on her around 8 and she could barely open her eyes to look at him, though she was pretty sure he said something about heading to the airport with Blaine to get their friends.

"Rachel," she heard a distant voice calling sometime later, "Rachel."

She cracked her eyes open to see Quinn, one of her best friends, standing over her with a cup of something.

"Quinn?" Rachel said, voice sounding strained and sore.

"Hey," she said, sitting down next to the brunette, "Here's some herbal tea. I heard you haven't had the best luck with liquids over the past few hours, but when I had morning sickness, this stuff helped."

"Thanks Quinn," Rachel said, taking a sip of the tea, "You probably should go. I don't want to get you sick."

Quinn nodded, getting up and smoothing out her dress, "Feel better Rachel."

Rachel nodded. Shockingly, she didn't feel quite as nauseous after the tea from Quinn. Granted, she was still feeling awful and her fever hadn't broken or even gone down slightly, but she hadn't thrown up in almost an hour which was an improvement from the 20 minute intervals she was dealing for the entire night.

Santana came in a few minutes later.

"Hey Berry," she said, sitting down next to her, "How are you feeling?"

"That tea Quinn gave me helped a little," Rachel said, "But I still feel awful. Is everyone still here?"

"No," Santana said, "They went out to see a show."

"Do you think anyone would mind if I went out to the couch and watched a movie?" Rachel asked, finally feeling like she didn't need to stay in the bathroom.

"Yeah totally," Santana said, "And I can spray the couch with some of that disinfectant Kurt bought today."

Rachel grinned as Santana helped her up off the floor, all the aches from sickness and sleeping on the floor making her hurt horribly.

"You ok?" Santana asked, seeing Rachel's grimace.

"Just sore," she said, grabbing her stomach as she felt the cramps return, "Could you give me a minute."

Santana nodded, giving her friend some privacy. She went into their living room and pulled out Rachel's favorite movie for when she was off her game lately, _The Sound of Music_. Truth be told, Santana was kinda glad she was staying with Rachel.

Now, she really wanted to spend time with her friends, but she was exhausted and staying with Rachel gave her the chance to rest. Rachel emerged from the bathroom, looking pale and clutching the wall for support.

"Come 'ere," Santana said, going to her friend and supporting her to the couch.

"Thanks," Rachel said, giving her a weak smile.

Santana gave Rachel a smile, placing a plastic trash can next to her on the floor. "Just in case," the Latina said, "I do not want to clean the floor."

Rachel nodded, curling into the throw blanket that was on the couch, closing her eyes as Julie Andrews' voice filled the loft.

Santana meanwhile, felt her stomach start to gurgle uncomfortably. She figured she was just hungry so she made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and sat down on the couch to eat. However, halfway through the sandwich, she felt her stomach turning and she put the sandwich down. She decided to try to sleep it off so she grabbed a blanket from in her bedroom and curled up on the couch.

That was how Kurt, Blaine, Britney, and Quinn found her when they got back. Rachel was still sleeping on the couch, but she woke up when Blaine shut the door.

"Hey Rach," Kurt said, going to her, "How are you feeling?"

Rachel didn't have time to respond as she grabbed the trash can and threw up.

"Ew," Brittney said, "Is she bulimic like the new Rachel at McKinley?"

"No Britt," Blaine, said, turning away, his own weak stomach not handling this well, "Rachel is just sick."

Brittney nodded.

"You alright?" Quinn asked as Rachel stopped heaving.

"I will be," Rachel said, breathing deeply.

"Santana," they heard from over near the other couch, "Wake up."

"Britt," Quinn said, "Let her sleep. She looked exhausted this morning."

But it was too late. Santana stirred, rubbing her eyes. "What?" she said, sitting up.

"Santana," Quinn said, "You look really pale."

"I don't …" Santana started before she started gagging. Kurt grabbed the trash can from Rachel and thrust it at Santana just as she started throw up. Brittney grabbed her hair and rubbed her back, trying to calm her best friend.

"This…" Santana said between heaves, "Is…all…your fault…Berry."

"I'm sorry Santana," Rachel said, suddenly feeling her stomach cramp and she raced for the bathroom, not wanting to deal with the consequences of not making it on time.

When Rachel finished, she went into her room, pulling the door shut. Santana headed into the bathroom, knowing it would be the best place for her.

"Guys," Blaine said, "What are we going to do? They are both really sick and I think Rachel might need to go to the hospital if this doesn't stop soon."

"Rachel will be fine," Kurt said, "and so will Santana. However, I think it would be best if you guys didn't stay the night here because this is super contagious and I don't want you guys getting it."

"We'll be fine," Quinn said.

"Yeah," Brittney said, "Besides, we like being here with you guys."

Kurt nodded, hearing a knock at the door.

"Who the heck could that be?" he said, racing for the door.

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**Who could be at the door? Comment and let me know. The more comments, the faster the next chapter goes up. Thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Fantastic Fanfictioners. Thanks so much for the nice reviews, favorites, and follows. Hope you all had a good week. I thought I would publish one more chapter before I head off to my church's winter retreat tomorrow for the weekend. Anyways, here it is!**

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_Kurt nodded, hearing a knock at the door. _

"_Who the heck could that be?" he said, racing for the door._

"Hey Kurt," Dani said, offering him her warm smile, "I brought some soup from that vegan restaurant Rachel likes. Santana called and told me she was staying here with Rachel while you guys were out. I figured I could drop by and keep her company."

"Well come on in DAni," Kurt said, opening the door the rest of the way, "Hey guys, this is Dani. Dani, this is Quinn and Brittney."

"Hi Dani," Quinn said, stepping forward and shaking the other girl's hand.

"Hi Quinn," Dani said, "Santana has told me all about you and you must be Brittney. Santana talks about you all the time. Where is she by the way?"

"Right here," Santana said, leaning against the doorframe for the bathroom.

"Babe," Dani said, going to the latina.

"Don't," Santana said, pushing Dani away as she tried to hug her, "I'll get you sick."

"I don't care," Dani said, hugging Santana close.

Brittney looked at them, slight jealousy at seeing her ex and best friend in the arms of another woman, but she was shaken out if it as Kurt spoke.

"Well if Dani's gonna hang out here," he said, "I'm gonna take these guys out for some cheap New York dining."

"I got her," Dani said, "GO have fun with your friends."

"Thanks," Kurt said, "Come on guys, let's go."

They all left, leaving Santana, Dani and Rachel alone in the loft.

While Dani held Santana's hair back, Rachel was in her room, tears streaming down her face. All she wanted was Fin or Sam or one of her dad's and at that moment, she couldn't have either. Her stomach was still cramping and she had more dry heaves over her trash can. She felt awful about ruining Santana's week and flinched at the possibility of getting anyone else sick because of her.

She floated between sleep and tears until Kurt came into check on her an undetermined amount of time later.

"Rach," he said, sitting down on her bed, "Are you alright?"

She shook her head, curling up into a ball on her bed. "I just feel bad for ruining everything."

"Rach," Kurt said, rubbing her back, "you didn't ruin anything. Blaine and I set Britt and Quinn on air matresses int eh living room. Dani has Santana taken care of. I am worried about you though. You still feel like you are burning up and you haven't kept anything down in almost 24 hours."

Racehl just stayed curled in her ball, tears rolling down her flushed face.

"I want my dads," she said through her tears, curling tighter into herself. Kurt's heart broke watching his best friend suffer as mush as Racehl was. He knew Blaine would kill him if he got sick but Rachel needed him. He decided to stay and rub her beck until she fell asleep at least.

After about a half hour, Rachel was sleeping somewhat peacefully and Kurt went back out to the ain living space.

"How is she?" Quinn asked, knowing just how sick Rachel had been earlier.

"I'm worried," Kurt said, settling on the couch next to Blaine after washing his hands, "She is really not acting like herself and her fever is through the roof. I think she might need to go to the hospital in the morning if she's not doing better."

Blaine nodded.

"What time is everyone else supposed to get here tomorrow?" Brittney asked.

"Around 10," Kurt said, "you guys anc Blaine can go get them if Rachel is still this sick and I'll take her to the hospital."

"I go with you," Quinn said, knowing just how awful it was to be sick and alone. She had had an awful time with sickness during her first year at school and had spent many a night just like Rachel.

"Alright," Blaine said, "And Britt and I will go get everyone else."

"Sounds good," Brittney said, "Now can we watch a movie."

"Sure," Kurt said, grabbing an old classic off the shelf and popping it in the player as they all curled up to watch.

Meanwhile, Santana was curled in the bathroom, trying no to throw up again.

"Babe," Dani said, rubbing her back, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hold me," Santana said pitifully.

Dani obliged and lay down next to Santana, holding her close as she shook from fever and exhaustion. That was how they spent the rest of the night, waiting for Santana to feel better and knowing they were in for a long couple of days.

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**Hope you enjoyed that. 5 reviews and I will publish a new one on Sunday night when I get home! Please let me know if you like this and if you have any suggestions for me! Thanks so much.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Everyone. I know I said I would post Sunday night, but I was super tired and I fell asleep before I could, but we have today and tomorrow off school sue to coldness so I figured I would post today. Just to clear up a few this, this is not a Faberry or Pezberry story. It is just friendships and normal parings from the show. I am not super creative when it comes to parings and I generally just stick to the normal ones. Anyways, enjoy!**

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When everyone woke up the next morning, Quinn went to check on Rachel first with some more tea for the sick brunette.

"Thanks Quinn," Rachel said in a shaking voice, trying to take the cup but finding it way too heavy for her weak body.

"Rach," Quinn said, helping her with the cup, "If this doesn't stay down, you are going to the ER. You are way way too sick."

Rachel nodded slowly, feeling the tea pool uncomfortably in her stomach raw stomach.

"Kurt and I are here," Quinn said, tucking the covers around Rachel, "Blaine and Britt went to get everyone else. Santana is still sick, but Dani's got her. Do you need anything else?"

Rachel shook her head, closing her tired, puffy eyes again.

Quinn nodded, getting up and leaving her sick friend to rest.

"How is she?" Kurt asked from his place on the couch where he was nursing his own cup of tea like he did every day.

"Weak," Quinn said, grabbing her coffee and sinking down next to him, "I think the ER might be on the list of places I see in New York."

"I've never seen anyone that sick before," Kurt said, "But taking Rach to the ER could be a nightmare. She is the new Funny Girl and everyone knows her. Heck, her face is plastered in at least 5 places in the city. We can barely go out without someone recognizing her."

"Is it really that bad?" Quinn asked, not even realizing how popular her friend had become.

"Yeah," Kurt said, "She had been on every talk show in New York and her face is not one that is forgotten easily. However, she does wear a wig on stage which helps slightly."

"I know," Quinn nodded.

Rachel had gotten everyone opening night tickets to see Funny Girl and Quinn had been mesmerized by the theater. They had even gotten to go back stage and see just how elaborate Broadway really was. Everyone had been in complete aw, but no one had thought of just what all of this meant for Rachel's status. Lucky for all of them, the young diva never let it go to her head, mostly thanks to Kurt and Santana bashing anything that looked remotely like arrogance.

Funny Girl had been great for Rachel and had given her an escape from reality during the most painful time of her life. However, it had also given her the lovely bug she was dealing with at the moment.

"How is Santana doing this morning?" Quinn asked, knowing Kurt had gone to check on her while she had been checking on Rachel.

"Still miserable," Kurt said, "But Dani is taking good care of her and you know Santana, she isn't big on being seen as weak but she trusts Dani so she's doing alright." Quinn nodded, smiling.

"I'm gonna go make sure Rach didn't throw up again," the blonde said, getting up and polishing off the last of her coffee.

Quinn entered the dark room, seeing Rachel curled up in her covers but not sleeping.

"Rach," Quinn said, "Do you want to try some more tea?"

"I couldn't keep it down," Rachel said, tears filling her dull brown eyes, "I threw it back up. Quinn, I don't feel good at all."

"I know," Quinn said, rubbing Rachel's back, "Let's get you changed and to the ER. You need to get better."

Rachel nodded, trying to sit up but falling over miserably.

"I'll help," Quinn said, grabbing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from Rachel's drawers.

"Thanks," Rachel said, voice barely above a whisper.

Once Rachel was dressed, Quinn fixed the braids that still held her hair in place and helped her out to the living room.

"ER?" Kurt asked, getting up from the couch.

"Yep," Quinn said, helping Rachel sit, "Let's get ready and go."

Quickly, Kurt and Quinn got dressed in street clothes and grabbed their bags, Kurt telling Dani and Santana where they were headed before they left, supporting Rachel between them.

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**Hope you liked it. DO you guys like the dirrection of the story? WOuld you like more Dani/Santana? If I get 5 reviews by tomorrow afternoon, I will post another chapter for all of you tomorrow! Enjoy the week!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So you guys rock my socks and were so great. I love reading all your comments and seeing new followers and favorites so here is the next chapter as promised!**

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When they got to the street, Kurt hailed a cab and they piled in.

"Closest hospital with an ER," Kurt said as they climbed in.

"Is she gonna hurl in my cab?" the cabbie asked, looking at Rachel.

"Probably if you don't step on it," Quinn said, knowing that was probably a lie but also wanting to get Rachel to the hospital as quickly as possible.

The cabbie's eyes widened and he sped toward the nearest ER. Kurt paid as Quinn helped Rachel out of the cab.

However, before they made it into the hospital, Rachel stopped to throw up in the bushes as Quinn supported her trembling form.

Once she finished, they proceeded into the ER, Quinn and Rachel taking a seat while Kurt when and signed her in, coming back with tons of paperwork which he began filling out easily.

After he turned it in, he returned to sit with them, looking around the ER. It wasn't too crowded, but as he looked to his left, he saw an unmistakable face.

"Shelby?" he said, getting the older woman's attention.

"Kurt," Shelby said, locating the source of her name, "Rachel, Quinn. Is everything alright? Why are you in the ER?"

"Rachel has a really bad stomach bug," Kurt said, "It got passed around at Funny Girl and she's got it now. What are you guys doing here?"

"Same thing," Shelby said, "that bug is making its way around every theater and the actors' kids picked it up and passed it to Beth and I. I am finally feeling a bit better, but Beth hadn't kept anything down in over 17 hours and her fever is really high. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Shelby?" Rachel said, waking from her small nap on Quinn's shoulder.

"Hi Rachel," Shelby said, "Kurt said you're not feeling well." Rachel shook her head slightly, not wanting to move but desperately wanting her mother's touch.

Shelby sensed this and reached over, rubbing Rachel's arm gently.

Quinn had been oddly silent, just staring at the blanket covered child in Shelby's lap. She couldn't see her face because the blanket was covering it, but she would have given anything to hold Beth right then and comfort her, but she knew that wasn't her job anymore.

Shelby looked over at Quinn, seeing her eyes on the bundle that was Beth.

"Wanna see her?" Shelby asked, shaking Quinn from her trance.

Quinn nodded, wanting to see her baby again. Truth be told, Quinn had deep regrets about what she had tried to do to Shelby, especially after seeing just how much Beth was being cared for.

Shelby pulled the blanket back to reveal the sleeping three year old's face. As the lights hit her face, she stirred, curling into Shelby. Quinn's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the little girl. She had her blonde hair and the cute little wrinkle in her forehead just like Puck did when he was stressed.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she looked up at Shelby.

"Mommy," she said, looking around slightly, "Don't feel good."

"I know Princess," Shelby said, kissing her forehead, "But look who's here."

Beth looked over at Kurt, Quinn, and Rachel, smiling sleepily.

"Wachel," she said, smiling at the older girl.

"Hi Beth," Rachel said, waving at the little child.

Rachel had been volunteering at Shelby's studio recently and she and Beth had formed a relationship that Rachel treasured. It was almost like having a sibling.

"Why you crying?" Beth asked Quinn, noticing the tears in the woman's eyes.

"Nothing," Quinn said, getting up, "I just need some air."

Quinn walked out of the doors, leaving Kurt, Rachel, and Shelby speechless.

"I got her," Kurt said after a second, "Nice seeing you again Shelby."

"You too Kurt," Shelby said, "And tell Quinn I would like to talk to her sometime."

Kurt nodded, going out the same doors Quinn had just exited.

"What's wrong Mommy?" Beth asked. The little girl had grown into a compassionate and caring child with a heart so big, Shelby sometime thought it would break.

"Do you remember how I always tell you about your mother and father?" Shelby asked, looking down at her beautiful little girl.

Beth nodded, "And they woved me wots and so I got to live wif you, Mommy."

"Right," Shelby said, brushing a blonde curl from the fevered girl's forehead, "Well that is your mother and I think she misses you sometimes and seeing you might make her sad."

Beth nodded, curling into Shelby more, "Can we talk to her and tell her to be not sad?"

"Sure. When you are feeling better," Shelby said, stroking Beth's hair, "Now go back to sleep."

Beth nodded as Shelby pulled the blanket over her head to keep out the light.

"Rachel," Shelby said, looking over at the daughter she never got the chance to nurse back to health "Are you alright?"

"Feel like crap," Rachel said honestly, "I have been sick since Friday night and we have all our friends are in from Ohio and I got Santana sick."

"That bites," Shelby said, rubbing her arm gently, "I came down with it on Thursday night but by Friday afternoon, I was doing better. Than yesterday Beth started. I bet your glad this is happening on your break though."

"Yeah," Rachel said, eyes drooping with exhaustion.

Suddenly, she felt her stomach turn and she looked around, seeing a bathroom not too far. She got up, walking as quickly as her exhausted body would carry her to the bathroom, barely making it in time to loose what little she had left in her system. She stayed there for a minute, trying not to break down again.

Once she was sure her stomach wouldn't revolt again, she cleaned up her face and went back out to the waiting room, still seeing Shelby sitting there with Beth, but now Kurt and Quinn were back also.

Quinn's eyes were a little red, but she seemed ok. As soon as Kurt saw Rachel, he got up, going to her and helping her back to her seat.

"You alright?" he asked, lowering her trembling form into the chair.

She nodded, putting her head on Quinn's shoulder, "Just the joys of the stomach flu."

"Beth Corcoran," a nurse said, calling Shelby's attention.

"Bye guys," she said, "Feel better Rachel. And Quinn, I want to talk to you before you leave New York."

" Alright," Quinn said, stunned slightly.

As they sat there, Rachel listened to the conversations going on around her to get her mind off the incessant nausea.

One conversation stopped her and made her smile just a little. There was a girl sitting across the room from them with her arm wrapped in an ace bandage, clearly waiting to have a broken arm set.

"Mommy," the little girl said, tugging on her mom's sweater, "That is Fanny Brice from Funny Girl."

"You're right," her mom said, smiling at her daughter.

"When I get big," the little girl said, "I'm going to be just like her and sing on the big stages for lots of people."

"I'm sure you will," her mom said, giving her a reassuring smile.

The little girl smiled a broad smile and started humming Don't Rain on my Parade. Rachel smiled slightly, closing her eyes and remembering the way she felt about Barbra and Pattie at that age.

Her eyes opened again when she felt a soft touch on her leg and heard Kurt and Quinn gasp slightly. "Hi," the little girl from across the room said, her mother coming up behind her.

"I'm so sorry," the mother said, "I was just going to get a drink and she came over here."

"It's alright," Rachel said, sitting up, "Hello."

"Are you Fanny Brice in Funny girl?" the little girl asked.

"Yes," Rachel said, offering a small smile.

"My daddy took me to see it last week and I love you so much. When I get big, I want to be just like you," the girl said, offering Rachel a toothy smile.

"That's enough Jamie," her mother said, "I don't think she needs to hear all your plans."

"It's alright," Rachel said, "Follow your dreams Jamie. I bet one day you will be a big star."

Jamie smiled as her mother ushered her away, apologizing for disturbing her.

"She was cute," Quinn said, smiling at Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel said, hand over her stomach, "I need to use the bathroom."

She stood, barely able to stand on her own so Quinn took her, waiting outside the door until she was done.

Just as they were about to sit down, the nurse called, "Rachel Berry."

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**Hope you liked it. I am going to try for some more Dani/Santana in a few chapters, but first I want to deal with the whole hospital thing with Rachel first. It might be a bit longer between updates now because school starts and musical gets crazy in February, but I will try really hard to get this updated as often as possible. THanks and let me know your ideas. I love them so much.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey Fantastic people. So I know I said it might be a while, but inspiration has a funny way of sneaking up on me so I went with it. Anyways, here it is!**

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Supported by Quinn and Kurt, Rachel made her way back to the triage bay where she was placed in a room and given a basic check before being handed a gown and told the doctor would be in shortly.

"Quinn," Rachel said, "Help me please."

Quinn nodded, helping her friend change while Kurt held her clothes. She and Kurt had quickly moved past any awkwardness in about the 10th grade when he started sleeping over at her house. Heck, she sent him to the store to buy pads and tampons on a regular basis and would complain to him about any girl problem she was dealing with.

Rachel laid down on the bed, Kurt letting her rest on his lap and Quinn sitting down in the chair next to the bed. Rachel could barely keep her eyes open with the dehydration and exhaustion from her sleepless night.

A few minutes later, a doctor walked in, pulling the chart out of the file holder in the hall.

"Hello Miss Berry," the doctor said, not looking up from the chart, "I'm Dr. Janet van de Graaf. What have we here? Vomiting, diarrhea, exhaustion, nausea, cramping, fever. Sounds like you have the stomach virus that's going around."

"Yeah," Rachel said, Kurt helping her sit up before getting off the table, "It was going around the theater and I think I picked it up."

"Oh my goodness," the doctor said, looking up from the chart, " You are the Rachel Berry. I have taken all of my nieces to see Funny Girl. They literally sing your songs all the time."

"Yeah great," Kurt said, impatient evident in his tone, "But right now Rachel is just a normal patient who is really sick and needs you to be her _doctor _and not a fan."

"Right," Dr. Freedman said, "Sorry. Now, let me take a look."

The doctor looked in Rachel's mouth, ears, eyes and nose, listened to her heart and lungs, took her temperature, and had her lie down and did an external stomach exam. As the doctor pressed on Rachel's stomach, Rachel felt a familiar feeling and the doctor quickly grabbed a emesis basin as Rachel dry heaved.

"Well," Dr. van de Graaf said, handing Rachel a tissue as she managed to get herself sitting, "I want to run some blood work, but based on your symptoms and the exam, I would say you definitely have the stomach virus that is going around. I want to get you on an electrolyte drip to replenish some of the stuff your body lost from how sick you have been. I will send a nurse in to get the blood and start the IV. I also will have her start an acetaminophen drip to get that fever of yours under control. It is 103.3 right now which is much too high. Don't worry, Ms. Berry, we will have you back on stage singing and dancing soon."

"Thanks," Rachel said, offering a weak smile as the doctor left.

"Do you ever hate it?" Quinn asked, referring to the attention the doctor gave Rachel.

"I did," Rachel said, "Not so much anymore. Just got used to it I guess, or as much as I could."

Quinn nodded, trying to wrap her head around what her friend dealt with on a daily basis. About ten minutes later, Rachel was almost asleep when the nurse walked in.

"Rachel Berry?" the nurse asked, waking the sleeping star.

"Yeah," Rachel said, voice scratchy and low.

"I just need to get some blood and then I'm going to start you on an IV. Hopefully, if we pull the fever down and get you rehydrated, you can be out of here in about two hours," the nurse said, smiling at Rachel.

"I'll be right back," Kurt said, getting up and leaving the room. He had issues with blood and was using that as an excuse to call Blaine and let him know how it was going.

"I'll try to be quick," the nurse said, seeing Rachel's apprehension.

Rachel had a big fear of needles ever since she got blood poisoning from a shot when she was a kid. It hadn't spread through her body, but the experience had been traumatizing and her fear stemmed from that.

Quinn saw Rachel's fear and went to her friend's side, grabbing Rachel's hand. The nurse put the needle in and moved it around before pulling it back out.

"Sorry," she said, "You're really dehydrated and that makes this hard. I'll try to be quick."

After another prick and a little coaxing, the blood began to flow. After that, the nurse hooked the IV up to Rachel's hand, getting that in one shot.

"Just call if you need anything," the nurse said. Rachel nodded, tears pooling in her bloodshot eyes.

"Rach," Quinn said, "I know it hurt but it's over."

"No," Rachel said, "I feel bad for ruining your week and everyone else's. You guys should just leave me here. I can get a cab back myself."

"No way," Quinn said, "You were there for me after the accident and any other time I ever needed you. Plus, I came to New York to see my friends and while this isn't quite what I had in mind, I still want to hang out with you."

"Thanks," Rachel said, closing her eyes, "I hope you don't find this rude, but I'm really tired."

"I understand," Quinn said, getting up, "I'm gonna go find Kurt and see how he's doing."

Rachel nodded, already almost asleep. While the nurse had been setting Rachel up with the IV, Kurt had called Blaine. Tina, Mike, Artie, Mercedes, and a surprise Sam had all made it safely. He was going to take them to Central Park and then to a few other places.

Santana was still running a fever and was still throwing up about every hour, but she was doing a little better. Dani was still taking care of her so Snix had yet to make an appearance. Kurt filled Blaine in on Rachel and had just hung up when Quinn walked up.

"Hey," he said, "How is she?"

"She's sleeping," Quinn said, "I don't think I have ever seen anyone that sick before."

"Rachel almost never gets sick," Kurt explained, "But when she does, it is always really bad. She got the flu when we first moved here and I kid you not, she slept for 36 hours and had a fever for almost a week. It was miserable."

"Yikes," Quinn said, "Did everyone else make it in safely?"

"Yeah," Kurt said, "And Sam came up too. Blaine was taking them out to a few places. You could probably go meet them if you wanted. I can take care of Rach."

"That's alright," Quinn said, "I have been hanging out with most of them in Lima the whole summer. Only you three, Sam and Mercedes moved out of town officially. Everyone else still comes home in the summer."

Kurt nodded as they started heading back to Rachel's room.

"Thanks Quinn," Kurt said, "I know this means a lot to Rachel. The past few months have been tough on her, on all of us, and it's good for her to know she's not alone."

Quinn nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Since losing Fin, Rachel had been writing her more and confiding in her. Losing Fin hadn't been a walk in the park for her either. She had realized after his passing that she had been destroying her life and had changed everything about herself, wanting to be the girl he had always treated her like she was.

She had dumped her college professor boyfriend and had focused on herself and her studies. She had also learned to create friendships again instead of just being a complete backstabber.

As they walked back into Rachel's room, Quinn smiled, thinking of how much this friendship meant to her. Rachel and Kurt had seen her through everything in her life and she was eternally grateful for them. She and Kurt sat down next to Rachel's bed, chatting quietly, not wanting to wake her after the long few days she had had.

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**Hope you liked it. Can Anyone spot the pairing I decided to throw in as a surprise? Anyone catch the musical reference? Let me know if you have answers to either of these and if you liked this chapter. Hopefully more to come soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey Crazy People! Thanks so so much for reading and supporting my work. You guys all rock! SO here is the next chapter. **

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About twenty minutes later, Rachel woke up, still tired and feeling sick, but her headache had gone down and she could feel her fever had dropped a little.

"Hey Rachel," Kurt said, noticing she was awake, "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly," she said, "A little bit better. Still sick, but less than before."

"Good," Quinn said, smiling at her friend.

"Why don't you guys go?" Rachel said, barely moving her head from its spot on the pillow, "You guys could be hanging out with Britt and Tina and Mike and Mercedes and Artie."

"And Sam," Kurt said, smiling as he watched Rachel's face light up.

"Sam's here?" Rachel asked, smile forming on her chapped lips.

"Yep," Kurt said, "He came up as a surprise I guess."

"What's going on?" Quinn asked, looking between Kurt and Rachel, feeling the unsaid things they were passing between themselves.

"Um, Quinn," Rachel said, looking at the blonde, "Sam and I have kinda been dating for the past two months. He is planning on moving here when he is done with his modeling job in Florida."

"Oh my gosh," Quinn said, looking at the sick brunette, "You and trouty mouth?"

Rachel nodded slightly, affirming Quinn's disbelief.

"Good for you," Quinn said, smiling at her, "I'm really happy as long as you are."

"I am," Rachel said, "We have been taking things slow, but he's sweet and, I really like him."

"Good," Quinn said, glad her friend was still living her life.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and the blonde haired boy walked in.

"Sam," Rachel said, smiling at him.

"Hey babe," he said, ignoring Kurt and Quinn and going straight to his girlfriend, "Are you alright?"

"I'm better now," she said as he reached down and gave her a hug before handing her a teddy bear, "Thanks."

"I was so worried when Blaine said you were at the hospital," Sam said, "But you're gonna be ok right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, "Just a really bad stomach virus I picked up at the theater. I'll be fine."

"Good," Sam said, brushing a piece of hair from her forehead before remembering they weren't alone.

"Hey Quinn," Sam said, going to her and giving her a hug.

"Hey Sam," Quinn said, smiling at the big mouthed boy.

"Hey Kurt," Sam said, hugging him as well.

"Hey Sam," Kurt said, "It's been what, like two weeks since you came up here?"

"Just about," Sam said, sitting down on the bed with Rachel, "I knew everyone was coming up this weekend and used it as an excuse to come see my beautiful Rach."

Rachel's blush was hidden by the fever that still raged in her petiete body.

"It's good to see you Sam," Quinn said, having not seen him in almost eight months.

"You too Quinn," he said, "Now how long do you have to stay Rach?"

"Until the IV finishes," Rachel said, motioning to the bag of fluids hanging above her.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here," he said, looking at her with his big eyes.

"It's fine," Rachel said, "But I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Of course," Sam said, getting off the bed and taking a seat in a chair next to Kurt and Quinn.

"Thanks for taking care of her guys," Sam said, staring at his sick girlfriend, "I should have been here for her."

"She understands Sam," Kurt said, "You both knew going into this that the long distance was going to happen and you both accepted the struggles. She's fine and now you are here to help her get better."

"I'm still trying to figure this out," Quinn said, "When and how did you two end up together?"

"I came up here to look at schools and I ended up telling Rachel about wanting to model. She helped me out and I'm not sure, but during that, I saw her in a different way. After that, we started talking and spending time together when I came up here for jobs and when she went home for visits and the rest is history."

"Wow," Quinn said, sitting back in her chair and looking from Sam to Rachel, trying to picture it. They made small talk, catching up until the nurse came back in.

"Hello," she said as Rachel woke up, "I need to get your temperature and if it's down, we will let you go home."

Rachel nodded, opening her mouth as the nurse placed the thermometer in.

"You are down to 102.2," the nurse said, "The fluids and anti-fever meds did their job. We got your blood work back and nothing looked abnormal considering the amount of fluid you lost over the past few days. So you just need to sign here and you are free to go."

"Thanks," Rachel said as the nurse disconnected her IV and she signed the release papers. Rachel rubbed her hand where the IV had been, a large, dark bruise already forming.

"Don't worry that should clear up in a few weeks," the nurse said, looking down at the paper, "Oh, you are Rachel Berry. There are a ton of people out front waiting for you."

"No," Rachel said, tears forming in her eyes, "Who the heck would tip off the press that I'm at the hospital. I just want to go home."

"Is there another exit?" Sam asked, not wanting to see his girlfriend upset.

"I can take you out the back," the nurse said, knowing how this worked.

It was better in New York than in LA because most of the time, the paparazzi here would leave the Broadway stars alone, but there were a few who were followed and Rachel Berry was one of the unlucky few.

"Thank you so much," Kurt said as they got up and followed the nurse. Sam held Rachel close to him and Quinn offered her sweater to cover Rachel as best as they could.

As they walked down the hall, the little girl from the waiting room walked out of one of the rooms.

"Hi," she said, looking at Rachel, her new purple cast held close to her body.

"Hi Jamie," Rachel said, stopping to say hi.

"Could you sign my cast?" Jamie asked shyly.

"Sure," Rachel said, asking one of the nurses for a pen which she was given.

"There you go," Rachel said after writing _Keep dreaming Jamie, Love Fanny Brice_.

"Thank you," Jamie said, staring at the signature in awe as her mom hurried her away.

Sam and Quinn smiled as they watched the exchange. Kurt meanwhile went to hail a cab, noticing a few cameras near the side of the buildings.

Once he had the cab, Sam, Quinn and Rachel came out, the camera men immediately jumping out, snapping pictures and asking questions.

"Ms. Berry," one called, "Is everything alright?"

"Ms. Berry," another yelled, "Why were you in the hospital?"

"Ms. Berry… Ms. Berry… Ms. Berry…"

"Leave her alone," Sam said, guarding Rachel as Quinn helped her into the cab, "She has nothing to say to you."

Sam had learned early on in their relationship that Rachel was a recognizable face now and he had also learned who to respond.

As the cab drove off, Rachel let tears fall.

"I just want to be left alone," Rachel said, all the emotions of being sick and harassed catching up with her.

"I know babe," Sam said, kissing her temple, "You just have to make it home and then you can be left as alone as you want."

Rachel nodded, drying her tears. After a few minutes, the taxi stopped in front of the Bushwick apartment.

"Thanks," Kurt said, paying for the cab as they all got out.

"Let's go," Sam said, helping Rachel up to the apartment followed by Kurt and Quinn.

As they walked into the apartment, they found Dani and Santana curled up on the couch, Santana's head in Dani's lap, eyes closed.

"Hey guys," Dani whispered, running her hand over Santana's hair as she shifted a bit in her sleep.

"Hey," Kurt said, "How is she doing?"

"She's still running a fever," Dani said, looking down at Santana, "But she's kept some pedilyte down for the past hour so that's an improvement. How are you doing Rachel?"

"I'm alright," Rachel said, "Tired, sore and still feeling crappy, but better. They gave me some fluids and fever reducer which helped."

"Good," Dani said, giving Rachel a smile.

"I'm exhausted," Rachel said, "I'm going to sleep."

"Not before you drink some pedilyte," Kurt said, going into the kitchen, "We can't have you getting dehydrated again."

Rachel made a pouty face but accepted the drink. After taking a few sips, she capped it, heading into her room. Sam wanted to follow her, but he knew it was probably best to just let her sleep. Even though they had been together for a few months, Sam knew Rachel needed space, especially she wasn't at her best. Kurt had told him about how badly she wanted someone earlier and it broke his heart that he hadn't been there for her then, but he could tell she needed space now.

"Would you like to go try to go find everyone?" Kurt asked Sam and Quinn, knowing that this was their vacation and they probably did not want to spend it stuck in the loft.

"No," Sam said, eyeing Rachel's door, "I want to be here if she needs me."

"Ok," Kurt said, knowing that Sam spent a lot of time in New York and could see it whenever. He then turned to Quinn who had been really quiet since they left the hospital, "Would you like to go?"

"No thanks," Quinn said, "If you don't mind, I kinda wanna take a nap. I'm really tired."

"Sure," Kurt said, "You can lay down in my and Blaine's room if you want."

"Thanks," Quinn said, grabbing her bag and putting on sweats before heading into the "lady man cave" as Santana called it.

"Looks like it's just the three of us and one sleeping sickie," Dani said as Kurt and Sam settled into the chairs.

"Yeah," Kurt said, "How was Santana anyways? She's normally a bear when she's sick."

"She wasn't bad," Dani said, looking down at the sleeping Latina on her lap and thinking back to the past 18 hours.

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**So I promise the next chapter will be all about Dani and Santana. Do you guys like Sam and Rachel? I personally think they are cute, but I don't think Rachel in the show is rready for another realtionship. However, this story is set further out from Fin's passing than the show so I think she would be ready. I wanna give a shout out to one of my anonymos reviewers who gave me the idea to have the little girl come back! You rock! Thanks so much for reading. Please review! I will try to write more soon, but musical season has offically hit hardcore time and its hard to find time to write. Anyway, write again soon! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey People. So I want to start by saying you all are amazing and make my day with each review, favorite, anf follow. Thank you so much! Also, sorry it had been a little while since I updated this or any of my other stories. Our school musical opens in four days and rehearsals have been insane to say the least. Plus, AP classes and school. Anyways, this chapter is Dantana centered. Hope you like it.**

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"_**Yeah," Kurt said, "How was Santana anyways? She's normally a bear when she's sick."**_

"_**She wasn't bad," Dani said, looking down at the sleeping Latina on her lap and thinking back to the past 18 hours. **_

_Santana had been so sick when she had first gotten there. Every twenty minutes like clockwork, she was bent over the toilet, heaving like there was no tomorrow. Dani had held her close and tried to comfort her as cold sweats, chills, and cramps wracked her body._

"_Babe," Dani said after about two hours of helping her, "Can I get you anything?"_

"_Just hold me," Santana said, curling into a ball on the blankets she had on the floor. _

"_Come 'ere," Dani said, lying down next to her and stroking her hair gently, "It's alright." _

"_I'm sorry," Santana said, tears in her eyes. _

"_For what babe?" Dani asked, running her hand over her sick girlfriend's back._

"_For making you come here and take care of me," Santana said, tears flowing. _

"_It's not your fault," Dani said, "I wanted to come and you couldn't help getting sick. I don't mind taking care of you, honestly." _

_Santana rolled to face Dani, tears blurring her eyes as she looked at her, "I love you." _

"_I love you too," Dani said, "Now try to get some sleep alright?"_

_Santana nodded, curling into her blankets. They spent the night on the floor, Dani helping Santana to the toilet more than a few times before the Latina fell asleep. _

_At around eight, Brittney stuck her head in to check on Santana before saying she and Blaine were leaving. Dani saw the hurt in Brittney's eyes as she looked at her and Santana, but Dani knew Britt and Santana still had a good relationship and that they were very honest with each other about everything. _

"_She's ok Britt," Dani said, "And I know she was really looking forward to hanging out with you this week. Hopefully, she'll be better soon." _

"_Yeah," Brittney said, not looking at Dani, but rather at Santana, "I really miss her now that we are so far apart." _

"_She missed you too," Dani said, stroking Santana's hair gently, "She'll be fine."_

_Brittany nodded, staring at Santana for another minute before closing the door gently. _

_Dani looked down at her girlfriend, trying not to be jealous of her previous relationship, but unable to help the feelings. She knew the two had a long history and that Britt was her first relationship after she came out. She also knew it was over between the two, but she could still see the strong friendship the two shared and it made her a little jealous. _

_About five minutes after Brittany left, Santana woke up, looking at Dani with dull eyes. _

"_Morning babe," Dani said, brushing a piece of hair from Santana's palish face. _

"_Ugg," Santana said, "Feel so sick."_

"_I know," Dani said softly, "Do you want me to go get you something to drink? It might help."_

_Santana just nodded, not wanting to move. Dani pushed herself off the floor and went out into the main living space of the loft. _

"_Hey Kurt," she said, seeing the brunette boy reading the paper on the couch. _

"_Hey Dani," Kurt said, looking up comics, "How is Santana doing?" _

"_She slept for the past three hours," Dani said, grabbing a bottle of pedilyte that Kurt had bought the day before out of the fridge, "But she hasn't kept anything down and her fever is still pretty high. How is Rachel?"_

"_Quinn's in checking on her," Kurt said, "But I think we might be taking her to the hospital. She's pretty sick."_

"_Yikes," Dani said, "I hope Santana doesn't need the hospital." _

"_Me too," Kurt said, not wanting to think about dragging Santana to the hospital. _

"_I'm gonna go give this to her," Dani said, gesturing to the bottle in her hand, "Let us know what's going on with Rach." _

"_Ok," Kurt agreed, "Ant tell Santana that I hope she feels better."_

_Dani nodded, going back into the bathroom where Santana was curled in a ball on the floor. _

"_Babe," Dani said, sitting down next to her, "I got you pedilyte. Do you want to try a few sips?" _

_Santana uncurled a bit and looked at Dani with her tear stained face. _

"_What's wrong?" Dani asked, pulling Santana close to her. _

"_My abuela used to take care of me like this when I was little," Santana said, wiping the tears away from her eyes. _

_Dani nodded, pulling Santana into a hug. "I know it's hard babe," Dani said, stroking her hair gently, "but I'm here for you." _

_Santana had shared all of her family drama surrounding her sexual orientation with Dani early on in the relationship. Dani had accepted it as just another part of her girlfriend's story. She had had her aunt and uncle, who had been like second parents to her, yell at her and disown her after she came out at 15. She had hated herself after that, but with time and therapy, she had learned to accept people who didn't accept her. She knew Santana tried really hard to do the same, but her abuela had hurt her at a time when she was vulnerable and afraid. _

_She held her girlfriend, rubbing her back gently as she waited for the tears to stop. She wasn't used to seeing Santana like this, but she was glad Santana felt comfortable enough around her to open up this way. Dani held her until the tears stopped._

"_Wanna try some pedilyte?" Dani asked as she brushed some hair from Santana's burning forehead. _

_Santana nodded as Dani offered her the cool drink. She pushed herself up into a somewhat sitting position as Dani helped her take a few small sips of the juice. Santana was not a big fan, but she also knew she did not want to end up in the hospital like Rachel. _

_They stayed in the bathroom for a while as Santana waited to see if her stomach was going to hold the pedilyte. After about fifteen minutes, Santana was getting restless. _

"_Wanna go lay down in your bed?" Dani asked, knowing that it would probably be alright for Santana to leave the bathroom. _

"_Couch," Santana said, giving Dani her best puppy eyes. _

"_Of course," Dani said, helping her girlfriend up and to the couch, wrapping a warm blanket around her before heading into the kitchen to make some soup. She started by sautéing some veggies in the bottom of a pot, adding some water and various seasonings before leaving the pot to simmer. _

_She knew Santana wasn't picky about her soups, but she wanted to make sure Rachel had something to eat as well so she went with the vegetable soup instead of classic chicken noodle. _

_Dani left the pot on the stove, going into the bathroom and picking up the blankets and pillows off the floor. She hoped that they would not have to use them anymore, but seeing how fast it spread around, Dani knew there was a good chance a few more people would end up sick. She grabbed a laundry basket, throwing all the blankets and pillow cases into it and after checking on Santana once more, she took the laundry down to the laundry room. The loft was nice, but the one drawback was that the laundry was not in the unit. She set the timer on her phone for when the washer would be done and went back upstairs. _

_As she shut the door, Santana stirred. _

"_Where did you go?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. _

"_I just took some laundry down," Dani said, sitting down next to Santana, "How are you feeling?"_

"_Ugg," Santana said, putting her hand over her stomach. _

"_I'm sorry babe," Dani said, kissing her forehead gently, "Can I get you anything?"_

_Santana was about to answer when she jumped up, running for the bathroom. Dani followed, rubbing her back gently as she threw up. After she finished, Dani helped her rinse out her mouth and took her back to the living room, helping Santana lie down before getting a cool wash cloth and bringing it to her girlfriend, helping her shift so her head was on the older girl's lap. _

"_That's cold," Santana said, wincing away from the rag. _

"_I know," Dani said, "But I need to get your fever down or else you're going to end up like Rachel." _

_Santana grumbled a bit but let the rag stay. _

"_Thanks," she said after a few minutes._

"_For what?" Dani asked, looking at the girl in her lap. _

"_For everything," Santana said, "For staying here and taking care of me and for well everything." _

"_You're welcome I guess," Dani said, "But I love you and I know you would do the same thing for me."_

_Santana nodded, curling into Dani as the older woman rubbed her back gently. Dani knew Santana was achy and desperately wanted to help make her feel better. _

_About thirty minutes after Santana fell asleep again, the door opened and the whole crew came spilling into the apartment. Dani knew a few from pictures and stories, but hadn't met many of them yet. _

"_Hey Dani," Blaine said as everyone pulled their luggage into the loft, "How is she?" _

"_Still not great," Dain said, gently rubbing Santana's back, "But better than last night." _

_Blaine nodded as everyone finished coming in. "Here," Blaine said, "Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Mercedes, Tina, Mike, Artie, and you remember Sam right? Guys, this is Dani." _

"_Hey," Dani said, smiling at everyone. _

_She knew these people were important to Santana and was glad she finally got to meet them. _

"_Is she alright?" Mercedes asked, looking at the sickly figure on Dani's lap. "She will be," Dani said, smiling at her. _

"_Where is Rachel?" Sam asked, wanting to make sure his girlfriend was doing better than Blaine had said. _

"_Kurt and Quinn took her to the ER," Dani said as Santana started to stir, "She was really sick and they decided that was the best option." _

"_I gotta go," Sam said, running out the door of the loft. _

"_Mmm," Santana said, waking up, "Wha…oh hey guys." _

"_Hey Santana," Mike said, "How are you feeling?"_

"_Ugg," Santana said, curling back into Dani. _

"_Why don't we let her get some more sleep," Blaine said, "I'll take you guys to Central Park and then out for some lunch." _

_A chorus of bye Dani and Bye Santana followed as Blaine led the troops out of the loft once again. _

"_Babe," Dani said, "Are you alright?" _

"_Yeah," Santana said, "Just feel …" _

_The next thing Dani knew, Santana was racing for the bathroom, slamming the door in her face as she tried to follow. Dani got the hint and went into the kitchen, stirring the pot of soup. A few minutes later, Santana emerged from the bathroom, looking exhausted. Dani helped her back to the couch, placing a cool cloth on her forehead. _

"_I'll be right back," Dani said, leaving to go flip her laundry. _

_When she got back, Santana had fallen asleep. She sat down on the couch across from her girlfriend and before she knew it, she was asleep too. She woke up about an hour later to her phone ringing. _

"_Hello," Dani said, trying to keep quiet and not wake Santana again. _

"_Hey," Kurt said, "How is Santana doing?"_

"_She's still not doing great," Dani said, "She is still throwing up, but not as often. She kept down some pedilyte for a while, but it didn't stay down as long as I hoped. She's sleeping now. How is Rachel?" _

"_She's getting fluids," Kurt said, "Hopefully she will start feeling better after that."_

"_Yeah," Dani said, "Well I'll let you get back to Rachel. See you in a little while." _

"_Alright," Kurt said, hanging up the phone. Santana woke up just as she hung up. _

"_Hey," Dani said, "How are you feeling?" _

"_A little better," Santana said. _

"_Wanna try some more pedilyte?" Dani asked, reaching for the bottle as Santana nodded her head._

_She took a few sips before capping it again. That was how they spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, with Santana sleeping and drinking intermittently as Dani held her close._

Dani was startled out of her thoughts by the bathroom door slamming and someone getting up to help whoever had just run in.

* * *

**So there it was. Hope you like it. I don't know if I will have time to update for about three weeks, but I will try really hard to work on this. Thanks so much. Any reviews are welcome. Ideas are also welcomed. Thanks so so much!**


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